February 17, 2021 Stickiness as a Plant Weapon, Rudolph Jacob Camerarius, Reginald Farrer, The Over-Nurturer Gardening Style, The Earth Moved by Amy Stewart, and the Birth Flowers of February
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Curated News
Stickiness Is A Weapon Some Plants Use To Fend Off Hungry Insects | Phys Org | Eric Lopresti
Botanical History On This Day
1721 Death of Rudolph Jacob Camerarius, the German botanist who proved the existence of sexes in plants. Camerarius defined the anther and pistil and showed that pollen enables reproduction—groundbreaking work captured in his 1694 letter On the Sex of Plants.
1880 Birth of Reginald Farrer, legendary rock and alpine gardener, writer, painter, and plant explorer. Raised at Ingleborough Hall, Yorkshire, Farrer pioneered British rock gardening by blending horticulture, art, and adventure—tossing seeds onto cliffs with a shotgun and smuggling novel alpines from Asia to the Craven nursery. His witty, passionate prose and bold expeditions inspired generations of gardeners, and the Alpine Garden Society’s top medal bears his name.
Unearthed Words
Angela Williams Duea and Donna Murphy describe the over-nurturer gardening style in The Complete Guide to Growing Windowsill Plants: “I nurture plants to death.”
Cacti wilted under constant care, but needy windowsill herbs and violets thrived under their watchful, loving touch.
Grow That Garden Library™
Read my review of The Earth Moved by Amy Stewart. This engaging, subterranean adventure reveals the secret lives of earthworms, which play a vital role in regenerating soil, suppressing pests, and even helping to clean up pollution. They enchanted Charles Darwin—Amy Stewart helps us see why, revealing how these humble creatures are indispensable allies to gardeners everywhere.
Buy the book on Amazon: The Earth Moved by Amy Stewart
Today's Botanic Spark
February’s birth flower isn’t the rose!
In England, it’s the violet; in the US, it’s the primrose. The modest violet stands for faithfulness and loyalty—favored by ancient Greeks and even Napoleon. Primrose, the “first” blossom of spring, symbolizes new beginnings but also devotion verging on desperation. From edible leaves to Shakespearean warnings, both flowers bring depth, romance, and a hint of wildness to February gardens.
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